Blog 685. It’s been a while.

Monday 13th December 2021

I’m stating the obvious again; December is well on the way to bringing the curtain down on what feels like a short year. Despite being fully vaccinated against the vagaries of the pandemic, I remain nervous about catching covid-19 whatever the variant. As I think I have remarked not so long ago, as winter storms are christened with names, usually in alphabetical order, variants of covid-19 are given names, seemingly from the Greek alphabet. “Omicron” followed “Delta”, and I would have to Google other official names for covid variants. None of it makes obvious sense, just like the vague restrictions we are compelled to obey.

Yesterday, I woke (as in awakened, not political correctness….) just in time for BBC R4’s Sunday Worship, which I tune into if in any form of consciousness at 8.10 on a Sunday morning. Ye Gods! Christmas carols sung to weird jazz arrangements. Not “my bag” I’m afraid. However, the day did improve. I attended Sung Eucharist at St. John’s, as usual. The choir had been given a day off, owing to unexpected lack of enough choristers. And because of the latest covid restrictions, coffee/tea was not offered after the service which ended earlier than usual.

In the afternoon, I was on duty as the “sound-man” at the rehearsal of Buxton Musical Society’s annual Christmas concert. The actual event at 7 o’clock that evening was nothing short of splendid. Today, I made a start on decorating the house for Christmas, partially inspired by this joyous event.

Thursday 16th December 22.31hrs

The week seems to have flown by. I have acquired new Christmas decorations for this year. However, I have a long way to go before to achieve anything tastefully spectacular. My neighbour Roger has built a magnificent crib which can be clearly seen from the Lane in front of my house. Any complimentary comments are passed on; I can only take credit for the concept and acquiring the nativity figures.

There are just four weeks until I embark on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. Many of my recent travel arrangements were cancelled in 2020 and 2021; so far, I have not heard anything about January’s voyage being called off. My booked cabin is on Deck 12 (QM2) leaving just Deck 2 to complete “the set.” Since 2004, I have enjoyed voyages in accommodation on Decks 3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11, and 13….in the seventeen, nearly eighteen years since QM2’s maiden voyage. I still regard Queen Mary 2 as a new build.

Friday 17th December 13 05hrs The Tradesman’s Entrance.

After going to bed later than planned last night, I overslept this morning, waking up just after nine o’clock. No news from Cunard seems to reassure me that next month’s sunshine cruise is still running, even if the Carnival share price might indicate otherwise!

My attempts to brighten up the house for Christmas have only been partially successful. The last Christmas tree available from B & Q is indeed a success, as are the battery lit baubles which hang therefrom. You can’t go wrong with tinsel, but, I have had mixed results from other Christmas lighting which comes in nice boxes, all tangled up and with incomprehensible instructions in numerous languages and questionable English. I have 12 months to get my head around these for December 2022!

And, what are the prospects for the New Year? It’s hard to tell. Omicron is set to be included (I imagine) in the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Hopefully, I will resume regular walking in an attempt to impress my diabetic nurse…i.e. the nice NHS lady who checks my diabetic condition – not my nurse who is diabetic- far from it!

Many of my seasonal cards are in the post or hand-delivered. I hope to have the rest dealt with in time. Even retired with (supposedly) oodles of time on my hands, I still can feel the pressure of this time of year. But, far better that than, a winter period of “solitaryness.” I don’t dread Christmas like I did at one time; the tacky music and seasonal commercials on the TV and radio irritate me less these days. Whatever happens (provided it’s not life-threatening) I am going to enjoy Christmas and the New Year – throughout 2022!